Blue Mesa Fishing Report

8/28/25 Blue Mesa Fishing & Conditions Report: We are officially in the final days of summer and with the arrival of Labor Day, there will be changes to hours at both the ramps and the marinas. Don’t worry, the fishing isn’t over. In fact, it’s just going to get better and better from here. 

Water Level:  43.88 feet below full (56.63% capacity) 2 Feet Lower than Last Week

River In-Flow: Gunnison River 326 cfs

Water Temp: 66°- 68°

Boat Ramp Hours: Current

Lake Fork Ramp: Open 6:00 am – 8:00 pm Daily Through Labor Day

Elk Creek Ramp: Open 6:00 am – 8:00 pm Daily Through Labor Day

Iola Ramp: Open 6:00 am – 8:00 pm Daily Through Labor Day

Steven’s Creek: Closed

Ponderosa: Closed 

*Ramp Hours Change Starting Sept. 2nd*

Lake Fork Ramp: Open 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Daily

Elk Creek Ramp: Open 6:30 am – 7:00 pm Daily

Iola Ramp: Open 7:00 am – 3:00 pm Daily

Steven’s Creek: Closed

Ponderosa: Closed 

Elk Creek Marina Store: OPEN 8 am – 4 pm Daily

Lake Fork Marina Store: OPEN 8 am – 4 pm (Closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

Sapinero Store: CLOSED For 2025 (Campground Is Open)

Oasis Campsites Store: OPEN

Lake Conditions Report: 

Iola Boat Ramp: is down to 1 lane for launching. The Dock is usable on both sides, but only 1 lane is usable for launching and loading.

Shoreline Softening: Blue Mesa has dropped even further this week, making the shoreline soft and muddy. Vehicles have been getting stuck, so avoid parking close to the water, no matter how tempting it might be.

*If you find yourself stuck, give H&H Towing a call at 970-641-2628.

Bug Hatches: Swarms of bugs are hatching in the evenings and early mornings, bringing the fish closer to the surface. If you’re trolling, these fish will react to lures trolled fast near the surface. If you’re casting lures, keep them near the top and moving fast. If you love to match the hatch and fly fish, now’s the time!
(FYI, these are not bitey bugs like mosquitos; they are what we call midges. They can look like swarms of mosquitos but don’t bite you.)

Algae NPS Update: Blue Mesa Water Advisory: Toxic Algae found in Iola Basin last week has now been reported as below toxic levels. The warnings have been Downgraded to Cautions. Water quality monitoring staff continue to sample critical areas and are monitoring conditions.

Open Water Fishing Report: 

Kokanee Salmon: We are hearing reports of Kokanee in the river!

Trolling: Sapinero and Cebolla basins are the go-to places. They are being caught from 40 feet down to 90 feet deep. Trolling bright fluorescent spinners, squids, and RMT Billfish squids behind dodgers has been the most productive setups. The majority of fish being caught are young fish. Releasing the young fish will be important to continue to grow the population and support future spawning runs of mature fish.

Jigging: *Expect this bite to last through about September 10th* Schools of mature, pre-spawn kokanee are in Cebolla basin along the northern shoreline. For the next few weeks, jigging may be the most effective way to target the Mature salmon. These fish will be found in large pods, visible on sonar as big blocks of color. Look for them to be suspended over very deep water and hovering in the 70-100 foot range. Find a school and drop jigging spoons tipped with shoepeg corn into them to entice a bite. Top producing jigs include GSO Fishing Agitators, Pline Kokanators, and Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring.

Kokanee live on average for 4 years, so releasing the 2 and 3-year-old fish will help maintain spawning populations (and fun fishing!) for years to come. 

If you want to release a caught Kokanee, leave it in the net and try not to touch it at all. Remove the hook and return it to the lake as quickly as possible. They are fragile fish, but minimal handling will ensure a quick, successful release.

Here’s a breakdown of the age as it relates to their size, so it’s easier to determine what age class is being caught:

This years Fry  (1yr Olds) = 5”-7”

2yr Olds = 9”-11”

3yr Olds = 13”-15”

4yr Olds = 17”+

Shoreline Fishing: Shoreline fishing in the summer can be tricky because of warmer water temps pushing the trout out deeper. We recommend fishing during the cooler hours of the day, like early morning or in the evening around sunset, when the trout venture back into the shallows to feed. Perch and Crawdad colored/patterned lures work great in the summer.

One species in Blue Mesa that prefers warmer water is the Perch, so they can usually be caught from the shoreline all summer long. Anglers are catching great numbers and sizes of perch right now! Casting a spinner around can help you find the schools of perch. Once you locate them, you can switch over to a slip bobber or dropshot rig to catch them. Our top soft plastic colors this week have been Olive, Whipper (juvenile Crawdad pattern), and Firetiger.

Brown Trout: Overall, the bite is getting tougher. Trout in the late summer season get a bit tougher to catch. Warm water and depleting oxygen levels due to algae growth play into this. These fish can still be caught, but the bite windows are shorter, meaning they conserve energy and feed only during times when the most prey is available. Browns are being caught 20 to 80 feet deep with several different techniques. If you are fishing for them near the shoreline, they are related to the bottom, and jigging is the most effective technique for catching them. Tubes, curly tails, and marabou jigs all work very well in perch and crawfish patterns. Other methods include suspending jerkbaits and various crankbaits cast around rocky structures. For anyone trolling for them, squids and billfish paired with matching dodgers have been effective. Our go-to colors this week have been Black, White and Pink.

Rainbow Trout: Similar to the browns, rainbows will be a bit tougher to catch as we go through August. Roaming from the surface to 30 feet deep. From shore, rainbows are willing to bite most presentations, whether utilizing a cast and retrieve, bait fishing, or jigging technique. Otherwise, trolling near the surface is also very effective, using spoons, spinners, and typical Kokanee-type gear.

Perch: Anglers are catching them both from the shoreline and watercraft. The perch fishing right now is great, and it tends to get better and better as we head into fall. Various rigs and methods have proven successful, including small jigs, drop-shot rigs, worms, and salmon eggs. Adding a piece of worm or the addition of artificial scent, such as crawdad or nightcrawler, will help entice them to bite as well. (Remember, there are no limits on Perch since they are an invasive species!)

Lake Trout: Trophy Lake Trout season is officially over. There are still some giants hanging out deep (120–150 feet), but the bite windows are short, and the risk of trauma to the fish is high. If you do hook into a big one down deep, take it slow on the way up, watch for lots of air bubbles before landing the fish. Don’t put it down on the hot deck of the boat, and be sure to release it quickly and in shallow water to give it the best shot at safely returning to the depths.

Laker Pups, on the other hand, are fishing great! You’ll find them scattered lake-wide, with higher numbers hanging in that 80–110 foot zone. They’re aggressive right now and hitting both tube jigs and trolled baits. The best time of day to target these fish is in the middle of the day with bright sun. These fish are very visual hunters and bite the best when they can see the best.

Upcoming Weather Conditions:

See photos for this week’s upcoming weather forecast.

*Be safe out there, and always check for the most up-to-date weather conditions before heading to the lake.

Wind Forecast:

See photos for this week’s upcoming wind forecast or check the Windy .com app.

We recommend the Windy. com app to track the winds before your next Blue Mesa outing. We have used it for years! (The Windy app icon is a red square with a white W on it.)

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